This Weekend's Conventions (May 18 - 20) (MI / GA / MS / VT / SC / MN / KY)

[lib3rtarian]

From here (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?376091-Upcoming-State-Conventions-Primaries-and-Caucuses-to-help-Paul-get-Delegates&highlight=upcoming):

May 18-19 Convention Michigan
May 18-19 Convention Georgia
May 18-19 Convention Mississippi
May 19 Convention Vermont
May 19 Convention South Carolina
May 19 Convention (CD delegates) Kentucky
May 18-19 Convention Minnesota
May 19 Virginia CD05, CD10, CD11 Conventions

How do things look? Do we have grassroots everywhere? Which places do we have a chance to get delegates and which places do we have the party honchos appointing their own yes men?

[sailingaway]

I really suggest we not telegraph punches. Hot topics, at minimum. If anyone needs and doesn't have a parliamentarian for example and needs help they could pm a mod and maybe a mod can just post that there is a need without stating state (it should be an active forum member asking) or something.

[brandon]

I'm also interested. I remember people saying we were doing pretty good in Minnesota. I don't know the rules though....so we'll see.

[sailingaway]

Minnesota the other side is trying to get out Santa voters they figure will back Romney if they can actually get them to bother to show up, by putting racy platform planks on the agenda.

Not that anyone actually pays attention to platform planks.

[RonRules]

From here (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?376091-Upcoming-State-Conventions-Primaries-and-Caucuses-to-help-Paul-get-Delegates&highlight=upcoming):

May 18-19 Convention Michigan
May 18-19 Convention Georgia
May 18-19 Convention Mississippi
May 19 Convention Vermont
May 19 Convention South Carolina
May 19 Convention (CD delegates) Kentucky
May 18-19 Convention Minnesota

How do things look? Do we have grassroots everywhere? Which places do we have a chance to get delegates and which places do we have the party honchos appointing their own yes men?

Grassroots is doing fantastic, but can we have people from the campaign there with a paid parlementatian? Pick some of the good ones from the previous states, fly them there and have them txt/tweet recommended actions.

If the RP campaign is supposed to have a "delegate strategy", it baffles me that they don't seem to attend the very conventions where delegates are elected.

Didn't we pay the campaign enough to afford that?

If you are in contact with the campaign, please urge them to attend. If they won't pay for a parlementarian, let's have a chip-in an buy one.

[LKMN]

I'm pretty sure there is campaing presence at all state conventions...I haven't heard of any contested state where there was none. Could be wrong...

[sailingaway]

I'm pretty sure there is campaing presence at all state conventions...I haven't heard of any contested state where there was none. Could be wrong...

'contested state' is the key term. GRASS ROOTS contests EVERY state. Sometimes that contest just doesn't get as far as the state convention in any force.

[bultza]

and CD delegates in Virginia

[lib3rtarian]

and CD delegates in Virginia

Right. I forgot about that. VA CD05, CD10 & CD11 is this weekend too. Added that to the list.

[kathy88]

Another weekend to get nothing done due to livestreams and ordering pizza. Sheesh.

[eleganz]

Grassroots in those states not delegates can help prepare live streams and other hints to let the delegates concentrate on organization

[lib3rtarian]

Another weekend to get nothing done due to livestreams and ordering pizza. Sheesh.

More like every weekend from here on out till August, except the Memorial Day weekend.

Our NC convention was supposed to be way boring, but I am fantasizing about an AZ/OK/ME/NV style takeover now. Only problem is - we are way disorganized here.

[freedomordeath]

lol, I was thinking how powerful the ustream is, like with the pizza bomb, obviously the main thing is to be organized, but the ustream is a powerful tool if they need us to do anything on the fly, however small. Like when they asked us to get media there, although they were asshats, we at least got the local fox crew there, with over a thousand calls they kinda hve to send someone. it would be nice to have all the ustream feeds going at once like when playing 6 online poker games, can have all the feeds in panels on your computer screen instead of flicking from screen to screen and missing anything. then if the guys on the ground want anything, they can signal us.

[freedomordeath]

we could also contact the campign and signal them about possible things that we pick up. but i must admit u'll have thousands trying to signal bad information sometimes.

[freedomordeath]

also what we could do is sneakly get some of these journos on camera, be nice to them and ask them about RP, if they hit us with hit pieces then we make them famous on youtube.

[parocks]

I really suggest we not telegraph punches. Hot topics, at minimum. If anyone needs and doesn't have a parliamentarian for example and needs help they could pm a mod and maybe a mod can just post that there is a need without stating state (it should be an active forum member asking) or something.

I don't think that the harm from telegraphing punches is as great as scenarios where we just don't know what we're doing. Wouldn't the Romney folks just assume that we'd try to accomplish Maine again if we could?

That's a lot of states with conventions, does every state have a clue here? That's the danger more than anything, lacking a clue.

[parocks]

More like every weekend from here on out till August, except the Memorial Day weekend.

Our NC convention was supposed to be way boring, but I am fantasizing about an AZ/OK/ME/NV style takeover now. Only problem is - we are way disorganized here.

Beep beep. Right here. Disorganized. We have to be organized.

[kill the banks]

Beep beep. Right here. Disorganized. We have to be organized.

yes ... for the life of me please work overtime to get this done ... plus experts should be there ,please donate your time

[RabbitMan]

I plan on bringing a smart-phone to the WA State Convention later this month as a guest. After watching the OK/AZ events, I was wondering if I can U-stream off of an Android? I could also bring a laptop or iPad, but those require wifi. If anyone wants to PM me with assistance, that'd be awesome.

[kah13176]

Don't expect too much from down here in GA. I suspect we can have at least a standing at the RNC, but GAGOP is one of the most corrupt in the country. Athens-Clarke county was just the beginning when it comes to pre-state convention happenings.

[parocks]

Grassroots is doing fantastic, but can we have people from the campaign there with a paid parlementatian? Pick some of the good ones from the previous states, fly them there and have them txt/tweet recommended actions.

If the RP campaign is supposed to have a "delegate strategy", it baffles me that they don't seem to attend the very conventions where delegates are elected.

Didn't we pay the campaign enough to afford that?

If you are in contact with the campaign, please urge them to attend. If they won't pay for a parlementarian, let's have a chip-in an buy one.

Do we have a state director in each state? Whether it's official campaign or not. We need a state director first, then a convention chair.

[parocks]

I plan on bringing a smart-phone to the WA State Convention later this month as a guest. After watching the OK/AZ events, I was wondering if I can U-stream off of an Android? I could also bring a laptop or iPad, but those require wifi. If anyone wants to PM me with assistance, that'd be awesome.

"how to do ustream with an android smartphone" should be its own thread, not a secret, hidden somewhere else, but a very prominent thread, so that everyone can see it. ustream - very impressive.

[parocks]

yes ... for the life of me please work overtime to get this done ... plus experts should be there ,please donate your time

It comes as a surprise that there is no organizational structure apparently anywhere unless the campaign is there.

In Maine, it was all official campaign. Eric Brakey was in charge and people knew that. He was in Maine for the caucus and the convention. Basically 2 months of training. Didn't really need 2 months of training (probably), but we did just barely win the convention chair spot by 4 votes, so who knows?

In Maine, we organized down to the county level. In my county of 30-40K, there were 2 co-chairs and an assistant co-chair.

What do you have in North Carolina?

[Badger Paul]

People in their respective states have to start organizing now for their state conventions. You won't get anything from the official campaign, so best get yourselves together.

[lib3rtarian]

All attending conventions this weekend, please point out to all grassroots members that Ron has NOT dropped out. Nothing changes. No one should stay home thinking Ron dropped out!!!!!

[Elwar]

7 state conventions...

The Romney delegates will be asleep thanks to the news that Ron Paul has "dropped out"...

w00t!!!

[lib3rtarian]

7 state conventions...

The Romney delegates will be asleep thanks to the news that Ron Paul has "dropped out"...

w00t!!!

Also important that none of OUR guys stay home thinking Paul dropped out. If the grassroots get the word out to all of OUR guys and make them show up, we might actually win even in places where we didn't have much hope before today.

[Elwar]

Also important that none of OUR guys stay home thinking Paul dropped out. If the grassroots get the word out to all of OUR guys and make them show up, we might actually win even in places where we didn't have much hope before today.

qft

[rb3b3]

dont crucify me for this, but why all of a sudden is everyone telling everyone to make sure people know that ron paul has not dropped out?? where is this coming from? we killed it the last few weeks at state conventions racking up delegates!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! what did i miss??

[parocks]

Also important that none of OUR guys stay home thinking Paul dropped out. If the grassroots get the word out to all of OUR guys and make them show up, we might actually win even in places where we didn't have much hope before today.

And the official campaign. The official campaigns announcement was was that they're going to focus on conventions, like these, instead of the primaries/caucuses coming up. So, hopefully, they can shift gears a little, get those states organized quickly, get a parliamentarian in there, get a convention chair, a state director, and a bunch of phone calls reminding people that Ron Paul is still in the race, and focusing on getting delegates from conventions like these, after big victories in Maine, and Nevada, etc etc.

[parocks]

dont crucify me for this, but why all of a sudden is everyone telling everyone to make sure people know that ron paul has not dropped out?? where is this coming from? we killed it the last few weeks at state conventions racking up delegates!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! what did i miss??

You missed the email today, read any other thread, pretty much.

[parocks]

People in their respective states have to start organizing now for their state conventions. You won't get anything from the official campaign, so best get yourselves together.

Official campaign just sent out an email saying that you now WILL get something from them. A good idea to organize yourself as well, and the idea that it hasn't taken place is surprising to me.

[gte811i]

Don't expect too much from down here in GA. I suspect we can have at least a standing at the RNC, but GAGOP is one of the most corrupt in the country. Athens-Clarke county was just the beginning when it comes to pre-state convention happenings.

That may be true, but it is all a numbers game. I look at it this way: The states that have had huge success, Maine, Iowa, Nevada, etc. have generally been states that in 2008 had good numbers but not enough. In 2012 they took over. We are now seeing a lot more states that are having results similar to what happened in Iowa, Nevada in 2008. So if people stick with it in 2016 (and in the conventions in between!) they will hopefully overtake more states. It's a process.

I don't know if it is there yet-but I think it is almost getting to get to the point of it being beyond Ron Paul. Once that happens, it isn't just about who is in the Oval Office, it is about who are the members of the RNC, who are the leaders of the state GOP, etc. And if this movement can move to that, then it will be able to do more good than one man sitting in the oval office.

I'm a member of the Mises Institute and have read tons of Rothbard, Mises, Hayek, etc. and one of the most disheartening things to me is to see liberty loving people say they will leave the GOP after this. I understand why they say and do that-it is really hard to stomach some of the stuff that comes from the typical R or D. I would love for a viable 3rd party choice, I'll prob. even vote 3rd party like the last couple of times. Unfortunately, the reality is that most people who vote just vote based on an R or a D, until that changes if you want to effect real change you've got to remake the R into a better image.